When LFB firefighter Merrick Josephs rung us to enquire about some physical support for a shoulder injury, he didn’t expect there’d also be help available for him following a family bereavement,
However, he was able to receive both on one of our holistic residential programmes.
Merrick’s mum passed away last year and he struggled to come to terms with his loss in the months that followed. He says visiting Harcombe House, our centre in Devon, on our Reset Programme enabled him to enjoy some time out and find wellbeing tools to help him cope better going forwards.
“Unfortunately, I lost my mum last year,” says Merrick, who’s based at Barking Training Centre. “I phoned up the charity around that time because I had an injury to my shoulder which I knew they dealt with, but during the conversation I was telling them about the bereavement and they told me about the Reset Programme.”
Our Reset Programme helps service users to build resilience and mental fitness, with a combination of mental and physical workshops and exercises – all of which are group-based.
“What I liked about the Reset Programme was how varied it was, we did some physical activity like work in the water led by the physiotherapy team. It was nice because it was a bit more relaxed and we got ourselves moving,” says Merrick.
“Then we had group sessions where we’d sit together and everyone got to speak with the different experts. For example, the sleep one was very good, managing our sleep and looking for good sleep patterns.
“Some of the workshops included dealing with stress, mindfulness, relaxation and talking to others, so it was really good – I really enjoyed it.”
A huge part of the programme is peer support, which Merrick says helped him greatly.
“We were there for all different reasons, mine was bereavement, there were some with relationship issues and stress-related issues, and we all just got together and enjoyed some bonding time,” he adds.
“We’d always eat together – healthy eating – and it was nice to just socialise and take my mind off things in that lovely, beautiful area.
“I’d highly recommend it to the whole UK fire service, it was nice meeting people from different Brigades and finding common interests.
“It did help me understand what I was going through at the time, so anyone thinking about it, take it from this firefighter – it was really helpful.”
He adds to any of his colleagues who may be reading his story: “The biggest thing is knowing that it’s actually there to help you. Not just other people. I’d always paid in to Fire Fighters Charity, but never considered it would one day help me.
“I’d encourage anyone, whether in LFB or elsewhere, to get in touch and find out what’s on offer. There’s so much. It’s not just physical health either, it can be a respite stay, mental wellbeing support or something as simple as a phone call. All it takes is picking up the phone or getting in touch online.”
If you feel you’d benefit from our health and wellbeing support, you can call our Support Line on 0800 389 8820 or make an enquiry online.